Mediacorp continues reign as Singapore’s top audio network with ‘significant jump’ in listenership

SINGAPORE — National media company Mediacorp continues its reign as Singapore’s top audio network with an increased dominance on the airwaves, according to the latest Nielsen Radio Survey conducted from August to October this year.

In a media release, Mediacorp said that its audio network saw a significant jump of 8.8 per cent in listenership from the last survey to reach 3.7 million people weekly.

This represented 88 per cent of total adults here, with close to 13 hours of engagement recorded weekly, the company added.

Mediacorp, which owns TODAY, also noted that its free-to-air radio stations commanded 85 per cent of the radio market share in Singapore, an increase of 5.1 per cent compared to last year.

The company added that its digital radio stations also have more listeners tuning in digitally.

“(This is) a testimony to its efforts to stay ahead of consumer preferences and market needs with a customer-centric, digital-led, multiple platform strategy,” the firm said in the media statement on Wednesday (Dec 15).

“Compared to the last survey, the company registered an overall 50 per cent jump in digital listenership, bringing the total to more than 1.5 million listeners, or nine in 10 digital listeners weekly," it added.

“The increase in engagement to nine hours five minutes weekly clearly signals Mediacorp’s ability to attract listeners with the enhanced offerings on its revamped digital service meLISTEN,” Mediacorp said.

MEDIACORP CLAIMS EIGHT OUT OF 10 SPOTS FOR FREE-TO-AIR RADIO

Mediacorp said that it continues to “cement its leading edge” as the top radio network in Singapore by recording improvements in both its reach and share.

The firm took eight of the top 10 spots in the ranking of radio stations in Singapore, with the top six being Mediacorp stations.

“The strength of its network is further supplemented by the fact that the top choice for key audience segments is a Mediacorp radio station, and that out of the 14 hours and 14 minutes that listeners spend their time tuning in to Singapore’s radio stations weekly, 12 hours and 48 minutes were on Mediacorp’s radio stations,” it said.

Mediacorp stations that made the top 10 rankings are:

• LOVE 972 (First): The station saw a record 1,007,000 listeners after gaining a survey high of 158,000 more listeners.
• YES 933 (Second): The Chinese station saw an increase of 28,000 listeners from the previous survey for a total of 934,000 listeners.
• CLASS 95 (Third): It is the reigning top English station here with 718,00 listeners who spent an average time of four hours and 39 minutes listening weekly.
• CAPITAL 958 (Fourth): The station came in fourth with 675,000 listeners and is the Chinese station with the highest engagement rate, with listeners tuning in for 13 hours 22 minutes weekly.
• WARNA 942 (Fifth): After coming in eighth position last year, the top Malay radio station in Singapore saw an increase of 35,000 listeners to reach 505,000 listeners.
• GOLD 905 (Sixth): The station saw an increase of 21,000 listeners to hit 494,000 listeners weekly.
• 987 (Eighth): The station is the top station for tertiary students aged 15 to 24 with 384,000 listeners.
• OLI 968: (Ninth): The Indian radio station clocked in the second-highest increase of 106,00 listeners to reach 330,000 listeners weekly.

In addition, classical music station Symphony 924 saw an increase of 84,000 listeners to 217,000 while English news station CNA938 reached 258,000 listeners after seeing an increase of 41,000 listeners in the past year.

Separately, Mediacorp said that its digital radio network reported a 50 per cent jump in listenership year-on-year, bringing the total to more than 1.5 million listeners.

“This translates to a reach of nine in 10 digital listeners, with more than nine hours of weekly engagement.

“This is a result of the suite of digital offerings Mediacorp has rolled out, such as enhancements to its meLISTEN platform, and ramping up the variety of digital audio content, including podcasts,” it said.

The company added that it has also recently launched indiego, a digital station which features the latest indie hits and homegrown music from local talents.

Mediacorp said that the results of the Nielsen Radio Survey “correspond with the uptick in performance for Mediacorp’s digital audio service meLISTEN” which saw a growth of 11 per cent in 2021 in monthly average unique visitors to reach 621,900 listeners.

“In terms of podcast content, downloads spiked 106 per cent to reach a total of 729,100 average downloads monthly, coupled with a growth of 102,000 monthly average listeners to reach 269,000 listeners as compared to last year.”

Ms Tham Loke Kheng, Mediacorp’s chief executive officer, said that the findings from the latest Nielsen survey reflect the company’s “commitment and dedication” to engage consumers with “quality content that they love – both in news and entertainment”.

“We are honoured to be the top radio network in Singapore, with even more listeners tuning in to us on the airwaves and digitally, and heartened to know that we are the top audio choice for all major demographic segments in Singapore, which shows our diversity and ability to connect with different audiences.

“The strong growth in our digital listenership is also buoyed by our revamped meLISTEN which showcases a stronger lineup of locally-produced audio content and a more enjoyable and user-friendly experience,” she said.